Cantaloupe revival

Tuesday

A GROUP of 15 farmers in the Rocky Ford area have formed an association to bolster public confidence in their cantaloupes and other produce in the wake of last yearís listeria outbreak.

†† An investigation showed that no listeria came from any farm fields in the Lower Arkansas Valley but rather from one packing shed near Granada.

†† Nevertheless, because those cantaloupes were marketed as Rocky Ford cantaloupes, that name became tainted in the eye of many across the nation.

†† Right now the Rocky Ford Growers Association is limited to farms in Otero County and southern Crowley County. But one of the groupís organizers, Michael Harikata, said he sees no reason the organization canít be opened up to others in the region in the future.

†† He noted that there is strength in numbers, and the organizationís bylaws can be amended to allow growers from Bent and Prowers counties to join. The membership fee is $100, and farmers then pay $50 per acre of produce grown.

†† Additionally, the farmers must participate in training by the Colorado Extension Service in food growing and handling safety. That earns a grower certification as a Good Agriculture Producer.

†† Colorado Agriculture Commissioner John Salazar is encouraging all Ark Valley cantaloupe growers to join the association. He said his department will be supplying $150,000 to $200,000 in funds to help market cantaloupes as safe and nutritious, and he hopes the growers can qualify for a U.S. Department of Agriculture specialty crops fund as well.

†† We heartily recommend that all Arkansas Valley cantaloupe farmers seek membership in the growers association, and we urge the current members to welcome them as this vital area industry works to re-establish the good name of Rocky Ford cantaloupes.

†† As Brian Knapp of Knapp Farms puts it, ď . . . we havenít had any problems with food safety in Rocky Ford in 120 years, and we are all committed to high quality.Ē

†† Let that word be heard across America.

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